


Lighthouse

by Nicoleks



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Idiots in Love, Jealous Kara Danvers, Jealousy, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 01:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13284300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicoleks/pseuds/Nicoleks
Summary: Cat seems to have a new man in her life and Kara isn't too happy about it, eventually leading to a much needed conversation between Kara and Cat.





	Lighthouse

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been sitting on this for a little while now and finally decided to just go for it and post, hope it's alright!

Kara clutched the tablet in her hands slightly tighter to her chest, making a conscious effort not to completely crush the glass and aluminum beneath her fingers.

She stood outside the glass walls of Cat's office near the desk she used to occupy not too long ago.

After her promotion, Kara and Cat began to spend more and more time together, Kara seeking out Cat's finely honed journalism expertise as well as her company. Long nights were spent with Kara sat pressed close to Cat on one of the large couches in Cat's office until the work was finished, or close to, while conversation shifted from assignment to personal. Kara loved those conversations where they effortlessly talked about everything and nothing, each woman learning more about the other, each woman becoming more and more comfortable with the other. Light touches and playful smiles were the things that sufficiently anchored Kara's feelings in the deep end. Cat would flash Kara a small smile before placing a hand on Kara's upper arm for support while she slipped her heels off, and as the night progressed, would almost always wind up leaning against Kara's side. Kara had, without doubt or hesitation, fallen head over heels in love with Cat and sometimes it seemed that Cat might just be in love with her, too.

The only nights that could ever top the ones they spent alone together were the evenings where Carter was dropped off at CatCo and would sit across from Kara and his mother to work on schoolwork and chat quietly.

Just as Cat had, Carter quickly grew more comfortable with Kara and though he was quiet by nature, he soon made frequent eye contact and allowed his voice to rise and excitement to shine through when talking about his favorite interests, namely Supergirl and video games. Kara always greeted him by running a hand affectionately through his hair, and Carter always said goodbye with a shy hug while Cat looked on with as much wonder as she did the first hug. It had all begun to feel so domestic it made Kara’s heart ache.

The latest time alone just the two of them, Cat had leaned against Kara’s side and Kara had dared a chance at wrapping an arm lightly around her shoulders. It was just a step past innocent, but neither woman mentioned it, nor did they mention the hitching of breathes or eyes darting towards the other’s lips. Kara had wanted to put her hands around Cat’s waist and press their lips together more than anything, but the moment had been cut short by the ringing of Cat’s phone.

But tonight. Tonight would be different apparently.

Cat's had allowed her newest assistant, Eve, to head home for the evening, and so Kara stood just behind the empty watching the scene in front of her. A young man around her age sat on the middle of the couch with one Grant on each side, Cat sat on the far end closest to her desk. He was dressed casually with jeans and a wrinkled, untucked dress shirt, telling Kara he definitely wasn’t there on CatCo business.

He and Carter were leaning over the coffee table peering at what Kara assumed was Carter's homework, with Cat on the man's other side, reading glasses on, layout in hands, and heels off. She caught sight of the man subtly glancing over his shoulder at Cat, eyes traveling down her legs, before returning his attention to Carter, who kept his own eyes firmly on the paper in front of him, probably to avoid eye contact, Kara assumed.

Fidgeting with her glasses, Kara mentally prepared herself before striding with purpose into the office.

“Ms. Grant, Carter,” Kara greeted with a semi-fake cheerfulness as she stopped next to the coffee table.

Carter’s head shot up at the sound of her voice, eyes shining up with a brightness that wasn't there just moments ago.

“Hey, Kara,” he smiled easily as Kara reached out to quickly ruffle his hair good naturedly as she’d become so accustomed to doing. Kara had never expected to know Carter as well as she did, nor did she think she would love him as fiercely as she did, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

There were brief times that Kara wondered if her relationship with Carter would have been similar to what she could have had with Kal had she made it to earth on time, if she would have felt the same flares of warmth and pride and protectiveness the way she did when Carter told her about school bullies or acing a test or finishing a painting. She couldn’t help but wonder if this gentle boy who looked at her with such trust and endearment was a second chance.

“Kara,” Cat greeted with a coy smile as she sat up straighter, waving a hand to gesture ever so elegantly towards the man next to her, “this is Liam.”

When no further explanation as to who he was exactly, Kara’s smile tightened and she reached a hand out to him.

“Hi there, I’m one of Ca- um, Ms. Grant’s junior reporters,” she cleared her throat a bit awkwardly at the almost slip up.

In their time together, Ms. Grant had become just  _Cat_ , while Kara had become burdened with guilt at Cat not really knowing just  _Kara_ , a feat that would require Cat’s knowledge of Kara’s alter ego. But that was an issue for another time.

“Nice to meet you, Kara,” he stood and shook her hand briefly before settling on the couch once again, “Carter and I are just getting to know each other better and I’m helping him out with some school stuff, right, little guy?”

Kara’s eyes darted over to Carter and she stifled a laugh at the boy’s almost imperceptibly scrunched up face at Liam’s nickname for him. But then the rest of his sentence caught up to her and Kara stiffened ever so slightly and pulled her arms into herself a bit tighter.

 _If he’s getting to know Carter, it must be because he’s planning on sticking around,_ Kara thought morosely. They had spent one long night in particular talking about Carter’s father and the lengths Cat had gone through to win full custody, Cat’s voice trembling in a way that both broke Kara’s heart and put it back together again all at once. If there was one thing Kara knew about Cat with absolute certainty, it was that the older woman loved her son and was determined to keep him close and safe. That meant shielding him from any potential fallout that could result from a failed relationship.

“Did you need something, Kiera?” Cat asked lightly, breaking the sudden tension that seemed to be suffocating the room ( _or is it just me?_ Kara wondered).

“I was hoping we could go over my latest article,” she breathed out quickly, an air of confidence she didn’t feel she  _actually_  possessed, “Y’know, like the three of us usually do.”

Kara watched as Cat raised an eyebrow before lifting her legs to tuck them beneath her on the couch and laying a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Kara, after we’re done here, Liam, Carter, and I will be going out to dinner together,” she smirked once again before removing her hand and laying it in her lap.  

“Oh, of course,” Kara forced out despondently, “Another time then?”

“Kara could come with us, mom?” Carter cut in with sudden excitement, eyes meeting Kara’s in anticipation.

“I’m so so sorry, buddy, I wish that I could, but I really need to be on top of this deadline piece. But next time, I absolutely promise,” Kara apologized, in that moment hating herself for being the reason the light in his eyes dimmed. The truth was, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stomach sitting across from Cat and what was obviously her new suitor (she also couldn’t bring herself to think of him as Cat’s “boyfriend” for fear she would reveal herself as Supergirl when she tossed him out the window).

Cat, whose features had remained neutral throughout the exchange, simply shrugged and said, “Well, we three better be on our way if we’re to be back at the penthouse by a decent hour.”

Kara could only watch and keep her laser vision in check as Cat and Carter gathered their things while Liam stood, his eyes fixed on Cat’s back. _Wow, t_ _he least he could do is have a little respect and_ not  _blatantly check out Cat in front of her son,_ Kara thought with a slight roll of her eyes.

With his backpack over his shoulder, Carter made his way over to Kara with only a hint of a smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist lightly. “See you later, Kara,” he murmured.

“See you soon, bud,” she wrapped her own arms around his shoulders as tightly as she dared and leaned down to place a small kiss on the top of his head, missing the look of awe on Cat’s face, attention focused solely on the twelve and a half year old.

“See you tomorrow, Kara,” Cat grinned as she passed, waggling her eyebrows in a way that made Kara want to wrap her arms around the woman’s waist playfully. But she knew she couldn’t and to make matters even worse, now she knew that someone else  _could_.

Standing alone in the empty office after watching the three leave, she heard a quiet _crack_ and was suddenly incredibly grateful that all of the files on her tablet were backed up to her computer.

 

* * *

The next week saw Kara mostly out of the office on DEO business that needed Supergirl’s full and focused attention. In that time though, she had still managed to catch three more glimpses of Liam in Cat’s office that unfortunately left her decidedly _un_ focused on rogue aliens and criminals.

That Wednesday afternoon Kara headed into Cat’s office to drop off her article’s layout pages. Walking into the office, Kara couldn't hold back a large smile at the sight of Cat typing away at her laptop with two pairs of glasses on and a third pair sitting on her head.

Kara’s grin dropped slightly as she glanced to the side and saw Carter sitting on the balcony couch next to Liam. They were once again leaning over the table with a textbook in front of them, talking quietly. After a few seconds, Kara realized she was staring and turned back to Cat, who was now looking at Kara with curiosity.

“Everything alright, Kiera?” Cat asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Ms. Grant,” Kara mumbled before handing the layouts to Cat hastily.

The next night, Kara caught sight of him in Cat’s office and she couldn't help listening in with her super hearing, curious beyond her own control. She had overheard them talking about the yearly science fair that Carter’s school would be holding soon, the one Kara knew Carter had wanted to compete in the previous year but couldn't because of his anxiety. Beyond a reasonable doubt, Kara knew that for Cat to be involving him so heavily in Carter’s life could only mean that this thing between her and Liam were progressing quicker than she thought. She balked at the thought, jaw clenched tightly.

The third time, though, the third time Kara had not just seen them in Cat’s office, she’d seen them on Cat’s office _balcony._ That balcony held so many memories, good and bad, that belonged to Cat and Supergirl, to Cat and  _her,_ it was an important spot that would always hold a special place in Kara’s heart. For this man to invade that space was infuriating and Kara could feel her breathing speed up as she tried her best to swallow her jealousy. She watched Liam laugh at something Cat said, while Cat smiled and ran her fingertips up his bicep.

Ignoring the protests of Cat’s new assistant and momentarily forgetting that she had both superhero duties and job demands to balance, Kara barged into the office and made her way out onto the balcony, barely holding back from using a burst of super speed.

“ _Kiera_ ,” Cat raised an eyebrow, licking her lips lightly, “Did my assistant not inform you I was busy?”

“Apologies, Ms. Grant,” Kara nodded sharply before giving Liam a tight smile, “Hi, Leo, right?”  _Wow, that was petty,_ Kara chastised, but didn’t feel nearly as bad as she mentally feigned.

“It’s Liam, actually,” he corrected while Cat simply gave a signature eye roll at Kara’s supposed slip up, “You’re one of Cat’s reporters, right? Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt the work, just wanted to drop those off for Cat,” he gestured at the coffee table where a fresh bouquet of flowers sat in a glass vase.

 _How much trouble would I get in with Alex if I used my laser vision on a civilian?_ Kara wondered for a second.

“Those are… lovely,” Kara responded lamely, adjusting her glasses.

“Was there something you needed, Kiera?” Cat asked, drawing Kara’s attention once again. Kara noticed Cat’s gaze lowering to Kara’s lips and lingering there a few moments before meeting Kara’s eyes again. The small piece of attention motivated Kara like nothing else could.

“Oh, right, yes,” Kara shifted her weight, “I was hoping you would look over my article with me and maybe give me feedback?”

At Kara’s hopeful look and puppy dog eyes, Cat breathed out a blatantly exaggerated sigh, “I  _suppose_ we could. Give me a few minutes to see Liam out and I’ll head to your office.”

Kara couldn’t stop the grin from overtaking her face as she nodded, “Of course, Ms. Grant. I’ll just- I’ll just be waiting. Um, in my office, of course.”

As she left Cat’s office, Kara couldn’t help but feel as if she’d won some sort of tiny victory at stealing Cat’s attention.

 _Jeez, you’ve got it bad, Danvers,_ Kara thought to herself, only slightly giddily as she made her way out of Cat’s office and towards the elevator without looking back.

 

* * *

That same night, Supergirl flew casually over National City with destination in mind and determination in heart. Or at the very least, she had destination in mind and  _impulse_ in heart.

Reaching the tall and luxurious apartment building, Supergirl slowly landed herself on the balcony of the west-side penthouse that could only ever belong to Cat Grant. With a deep breath and an abrupt onslaught of nerves, Kara stared at the double doors in front of her, glass with black aluminum frames of course, and suddenly doubted her  _brilliant_ idea to show up unannounced.

Before she could decide on whether to run or stay, she caught sight of Cat walking into the living room, face free of makeup, silk pajamas on and soft waves loosely framing her face. The sight was so beautiful, Kara’s breath caught in her throat and she reached a hand out to knock quickly without thinking. Cat’s head shot up and she stopped short, staring at Supergirl with obvious surprise for a moment before schooling her featuring and striding over to open the doors.

“Supergirl?” Cat smiled, looking the alien up and down before stepping out onto the balcony, “You’re not who I expected to turn up.”

“Sorry to barge in, Cat,” Supergirl took a familiar seat on the patio loveseat, and momentarily held her breath as Cat sat next to her, knees barely brushing.

“Don’t be,” Cat dismissed with a wave of her hand, “I’m assuming it’s not some sort of emergency that’s brought you through, and you’ve already missed Carter, he’s just been to bed. So what is it? In need of my neverending inspiration and wisdom?”

 _I’m in need of you,_ Kara thought as Cat placed a teasing hand on Kara’s knee, squeezing lightly. Kara could feel a light blush crawling up her cheeks as she glanced down at Cat’s hand, though she couldn’t help feeling a bit odd at the realization that Cat was technically flirting with  _Supergirl_ and not Kara. ( _Seriously? What, am I jealous of myself now?_ Kara thought incredulously.) 

“Um, n-no, not this time,” she stuttered out. As she brought a hand up to rub the back of her neck, Kara could only wish she’d prepared what to  _say_ rather than simply going off what she  _felt_. “I just, we haven’t, y’know, talked in awhile and I thought maybe you’d been wanting to catch up as much as I have? I also,” she paused to cleared her throat and scuffed her the toe of her boot against the ground awkwardly, “I also saw somewhere online that you were seeing someone new and got, y’know, curious or whatever.”

 _Okay, way too casual, way too direct,_ Kara mentally chastised herself, wishing her superpowers included the ability to turn invisible.

Cat tilted her head slightly and looked at her carefully, but Kara could see a glimpse of something she couldn’t quite name beneath the obvious mirth. “Supergirl reads celebrity tabloids? I never would’ve thought,” she quipped with her trademark smirk as she shifted closer to Kara, legs pressing together tightly.

Supergirl rolled her eyes and couldn’t fight the smile that appeared, “Okay, first of all, everyone likes celebrity tabloids, they’re  _fun_ and you know it,” Cat smirked at that as Kara continued, “And second of all, I see your name, I read the article,” she shrugged. That was only partially true, as Kara left out how any unfairly  _negative_ articles left her aggravated and itching to write her own article defending Cat’s honor, despite knowing that Cat didn’t need the defending.

“Funny,” Cat mused exaggeratedly, “I haven’t revealed to anyone anything about my dating life, and since the email hack I’ve been especially careful to keep my private life just that, so how is it you came across a believable article about me being in a relationship?”

“Well, you know how gossip magazines can-”

“So it was a  _gossip_  magazine, then?” Cat interrupted, a hint of frustration in her voice, “What made you decide to take a  _gossip_ piece, of all media, seriously?”

“You know what, you’re right, Cat,” Kara conceded with a small smile, losing her confidence under the weight of Cat’s questions, “It was silly of me to believe what I read. Um, let’s just- just talk about something else then? How has Carter been getting along at school?” she asked, despite already knowing all about what was happening in Carter’s life, both academically and otherwise.

With a roll of her eyes, Cat let her smirk drop entirely and frowned as she stood up and walked the short distance to the balcony railing, leaning her hands on top, “No, I think we’re done here, Kara.”

“Ms.-  _Cat_ ,” Kara stood abruptly, eyes wide with  a sudden desperation, “I- I’ve already told you, no,  _proved_ to you that-”

“ _Pfft,_ that stunt you pulled may have worked for all of five minutes, but did you think I wouldn’t still put the pieces together eventually?” Staring out at the city, Cat adamantly kept her eyes forward as she continued, “I can see you’ve glossed over the fact that the Bizarro situation only demonstrated how very  _not_ impossible it is for Supergirl to have a doppelganger, or  _two_. But  _fine_ , if we’re to continue playing this game then just leave, I’ll go along tomorrow but I’m in no mood for it tonight.” 

“I- You threatened to  _fire_ me - and-and then we got closer and I thought maybe - but now, now you have that Liam guy in your life so,  _so_ I’m not the only one to blame here,” Kara rambled shakily, hands gesturing out, unsure of the exact point she was trying to make but so caught off guard that she felt the need to go on the defense.

Instead of responding verbally, Cat simply stood still and rigid, shoulders tense. She kept her gaze firmly on the superhero in front of her, silently communicating her desire to be done with the act.

Kara sighed and deflated, turning to lean her back against the railing with her arms crossed. Taking a deep breath to steady her voice, she quietly said, “You were going to take CatCo away from me, and more importantly than that, you were going to take  _you_ away from me. And then I went to work for Snapper and you and I got closer, and Carter and I got closer too, and it all started to feel so…” she trailed off with a shrug, unsure of how to finish.

When she dared a glance at Cat’s face, Kara saw a hint of pursed lips on Cat’s face. “We did get closer,” she agreed, “All three of us. And you're right, it was wrong of me to try and manipulate you into telling me your secret when you clearly weren’t ready,” Cat murmured quietly, “I'm sorry for that.”

Kara smiled weakly, “I forgive you, and I'm sorry too, for keeping it from you so long. I wanted to tell you so badly, I was just terrified of losing you and CatCo. And then I thought maybe you and I would...,” Kara trailed off again with a shake of her head, “But you’re in a relationship with Liam now, so I guess that means-”

“I am not _dating_ him, Kara,” at this, Cat finally turned her body towards Kara and met the other woman’s eyes.

“Wait, what do you mean you’re not dating him?” Kara’s eyebrows knitted together, looking as bewildered as she felt, “He was  _there_  with you and Carter and he was looking at you all - and then on the balcony with Carter, and then the  _flowers_ he brought - what do you _mean_ you’re not _dating?_ ”

Cat only shrugged and licked her lips (Kara’s eyes followed  _that_ movement  _very_ closely) as she reached out to take one of Kara’s hands in hers and lace their fingers together, “Well, I never said _he_ wasn’t attracted to _me_ , darling, but no, we are not seeing each other. That day on the balcony he did ask me to go out with him, but I turned him down.”

Cat paused to take in Kara’s confused expression and smiled mischievously, “Carter is being considered for an honors program at school and will be taking the entrance exam soon, Liam is just a tutor I was fielding for him. Although Carter excels in his schoolwork, I figured extra help wouldn't hurt for such a potentially stressful test.” she shrugged innocently, though Kara had a feeling the woman was anything  _but_. 

“You went to dinner with him, though?” Kara thought aloud as she mulled over the entire situation in her head.

“Yes, the three of us went to Retro Smash, that germ filled arcade with the awful fast food. You know how it takes Carter time to warm up to new people, we were trying to get him to feel comfortable around Liam,” Cat shrugged coyly, looking up at Kara through batted eyelashes. “I grew tired of waiting to find out whether you would make your move, darling, and it seemed as if you might need a little push. I must say though, jealousy does look much better on you than I had expected.”

“Wait, you _lighthoused_ me?” Kara exclaimed dumbfoundedly, eyes going comically wide at the sudden realization.

Before Cat could respond though, Kara muttered out, “Oh,  _screw_ it,” and reached out to wrap her arms around Cat’s waist the way she’d always craved. As Kara pulled the older woman flush against her front, reveling in the feel of the older woman’s silk pajamas under her palms, Cat’s hand’s moved to hold her neck and their lips met in a passionate, desperate kiss.

As hands continued to wander, Kara had to make a conscious effort to keep herself from floating while Cat let out a moan at the feel of Kara’s tongue teasing at her lips. The sensual kiss almost brought Kara to tears with how  _right_ it all felt, like the pain and suffering of watching her world end and losing time to the phantom zone were all just knots on the string that was meant to pull Kara into this exact moment. A chance at a life with Cat was more than enough to remedy the hurt that the stars had put her through. After a few glorious minutes, the kiss naturally came to an end with the two women parting slowly, giving each other chaste pecks as they came apart.

“So,” Kara cleared her throat awkwardly and shifted her feet slightly, neither woman moving out of the other’s arm, “What do we do now?”

“ _Well_ ,” Cat reached a hand up to cup Kara’s cheek with her palm, “I think the next step is for you to take me out on a serious date.”

“Oh,  _I_ have to take  _you_ out after the little stunt you pulled?” Kara teased with raised eyebrows and a cocky smile. Cat let out a light laugh and leaned forward to kiss Kara playfully before leaning back and looking at Kara intently, head tilted slightly.

“Tomorrow night, Carter and I have plans to order in from his favorite pizza place and watch a few movies,” Cat shifted her weight and looked away slightly in a rare show of bashfulness, making Kara’s smile even wider, “Would you care to join us? As just  _Kara_?” She emphasized with a pointed glance down at Kara’s supersuit.

“Yes, Cat,” Kara nodded as she tried to keep her feet on the ground, rubbing her thumbs against Cat’s hips soothingly, “I would really, really love that.”


End file.
